December 10, 2014

Beer Monkeys and Bouncy Castle Kung Fu: an interview with James Walley, author of "The Forty-First Wink"

About The Forty First Wink by James Walley: Marty is having a bad morning. Roused from slumber by a gang of polo mallet wielding monkeys and a mysterious voice in his wardrobe, he must quickly come to terms with the fact that the world outside his door is now the world inside his head. Lying in wait amidst bleak, gloomy streets, deserted theme parks, and circus themed nightclubs, lurks the oppressive shadow of a myriad of giggling, cackling pursuers, hell bent on throwing a custard pie or two into the works.

Assisted by a string of halfcocked schemes, a troupe of tiny unlikely allies, and (literally) the girl of his dreams, Marty sets out on a heroic quest to wake up and get out of bed. Find The Forty First Wink on Amazon.com

Gef: Where
did you get the inspiration for The
Forty First Wink?
I mean, heck, where does the imagery of polo-mallet-wielding monkeys
come from?

James: I've
actually been visited by the beer monkeys many times myself! I've
always believed that they are where hangovers come from. Really, a
great deal of 'Wink' was borne from my love of all things random. I
wanted to create a situation where the reader simply had to keep
turning the pages, since absolutely anything is possible. Pure
escapism and fun are what makes the story tick. I just went where my
imagination took me. Unfortunately, sometimes it takes me to clowns.

Gef: What
went through your head when you finally got to hold your debut novel
in your hands? How has the experience with Ragnarok been thus far?

James: It's
probably the most surreal and euphoric feeling I have ever
experienced. You're holding something that you've laboured over, and
basically lived in for months. I suppose it's like giving birth, only
slightly less messy.

Ragnarok
have been fantastic. They're growing so fast, and pulling in some
awesome talents, so it's nice to be involved in something like that.
Since I'm something of a newbie, they talked me through the whole
process, from editing, all the way through to promotion. Plus, I
think I was the first British author they took on, so I think extra
brownie points are in order for that.

Gef: How
intensive was the research process for you? What little tricks have
you picked up with approaching the research phase of writing?

James: As
you can imagine, researching tiny, living toy pirates and bouncy
castle kung fu can be problematic. I found that it was usually
little, seemingly insignificant things that required the most
research. Fictitious place names, nautical terms, the sort of thing
that fits seamlessly into the story, but that would stick out like a
sore thumb if it was wrong. The most research I did was for the
character of The Locust, since he talks like Wikipedia!

In
terms of tricks, the only thing I can wholeheartedly say is, Google,
Google, Google!

Gef: What
do you consider to be the strength or saving grace of the fantasy
genre?

James: That's
a difficult question, since there are so many branches of fantasy.
For me, the ability to create completely new worlds is what excites
and interests me. Tolkein, Pratchett and Adams are all huge
influences to me, and all have a wonderful knack of creating lavish
environments for their characters to play in. It's fantasy, I can
have a high speed car chase in an ice cream truck if I want to!

Gef: What's
the worst piece of writing advice you ever received? Or what piece of
writing advice do you wish would just go away?

James: This
is also a tough one, since everyone writes differently. Some people
plot, others run screaming into the thick of the plot, waving their
pen frantically. The worst thing I hear is that there is a 'right'
and 'wrong' way of doing things. Some people don't write four hundred
drafts, and that's ok. Some people break the fourth wall, and that's
ok too. There isn't a handbook, because writing is organic and
personal.

Gef: What
kind of guilty pleasures do you have when it comes to books or movies
or whatnot?

James: I
suppose I'm a sucker for a good reluctant hero, or a plan that goes
so spectacularly wrong that it actually stumbles through and ends up
working. Maybe it's the Brit in me, but heroes that can bench press a
hippo, wear tight spandex and have their own theme music are ten a
penny. The awkward little guys who try their best to deliver a
stirring speech before tripping over their own shoelaces are more my
cup of tea.

Gef: We're
coming up to the end of the year, which means everyone and their mama
is writing a year-end lists. So what book, movie, game, show, song,
or dirty limerick has found its way to the tippy-top of your
favorites this year?

James: Harking
back to the last question, I loved Marvel's Guardians
of the Galaxy.
It plays the "screw ups come good" card beautifully, and
made me feel like a wide eyed, cheering kid again as I peered out
from behind my popcorn with a huge grin on my face. In terms of
books, I have been poring over Ragnarok's catalogue since joining
their ranks, and there are some beauties to be found there. Kevin
Lucia's Devourer
of Souls has
some wonderfully spooky undertones of old school King, and the
collaborative Dead
West
series covers zombies and the old west - two of my favourite genres.
Really, everything I've read from the Ragna-paddock has been
exceptional. Yes, I am biased, but it's true. They really do only put
out gems.

Gef: What
projects are you cooking up that folks can expect in the near future,
and how can folks keep up with your shenanigans?

James: I
have been beavering away like a...beaver, on a collection of short
stories which will be trickling out over the next few months,
starting with Santa
Claus Wants You Dead which
will form part of Fireside Press' "Wishes" triple
anthology. After that, I'm hoping to be able to announce the release
of Bad
Little Boys Go To Hell, and
If
You Burn Down The Woods Today
in the new year. Following that, I'll be looking to complete and
release the second of the "Wink" trilogy, The
Fathom Flies Again.

I
can be found sneaking around Facebook planting seeds of insanity, and
also on Twitter (@JamesWalley74). There is also a FortyFirst Wink Facebook page, which will continue to provide news and updates on the emerging
trilogy.